CHAP. XXVII.

Moses ha∣ving assembled the people that he might give them a charge for the building of a monument of great stones at their first entrance into Canaan, whereon the law was to be written, he first begins with this Exhortation, Keep all the com∣mandments tha• I command you this day, thereby to give them a hint of the end for which this monument was to be erected, namely, that it might be a memoriall to put them in mind of keeping Gods law.

For the better understanding of the charge here given for the setting up of this monument, whereon the law was to be written, we must know first, that though it be said here that they should do this on the day they pas••d over Jordan, yet thereby was not meant the very day they went over Jordan •ut onely that they sh•uld do it at their first entrance into the land of Canaan. Day in the Scripture •s ordinarily used for time, as Luke 19. 42. If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! and so it is here. The meaning is onely this, that after they were once gotten over the river Jordan▪ they should take care at their first opportunity to see that this were done: and so it is expressed, vers. 4. when ye be gone over Jordan ye shall set up these stones. And indeed in the history of Joshua we may see, chap. 8. 30. that this monument was not erected till after the taking of A•: secondly, that though the text speaks on•ly of setting •p great stones▪ and plastering them with morter, yet it is most probable that thereby is meant the setting up or building of some notable monument with these stones, which should be then plastered over with plaster for the more conveniency of writing the law thereon, which could not so well have been done upon the rough stones: thirdly, that though it be not expressed what law of God it was that was to be written on this monument, and therefore some conceive that it was the ten com∣mandments, others the curses and the blessings, which were then also to be pro∣nounc•d upon mount Ebal and mount Gerizzim, and others this whole book of Deuteronomie, the law which Moses had now given them, and for the proving thereof they urge much, that it is so of•en called, this law, as vers. 3. Thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, and so again, vers. 32. it is said that he wrote there upon the ston•s a copie of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel; yet it is most probable that either the cursings and blessings are here meant, or else the ten commandments, called the ten words, Exod. 34. 28. which are the summe of the whole law, and that because we cannot conceive how this whole book of Deuteronomi• could be written upon this monu∣ment in such fair plain characters that every one might reade it, and yet this was expresly enjoyned them, vers. 8. And thou shalt write upon these stones all the words of this law v•ry plainly: and fourthly, that the end of erecting this monu∣ment whereon the law was thus written was twofold; first, that it might be a me∣moriall to put them in mind, that when God did at first bring them into the land it was upon these co•ditions, that they should serve him as his peculiar people, and Page  531 keep all those laws which he had given them in charge; secondly, that finding also hereby how farre they had been from doing exactly what God had required of them, and that hereby they were left under the curse, this might lead them to seek salvation in Christ, the promised Messiah. And for this very reason it was also that this monument was set up in mount Ebal, vers. 4. the mount whence the curse was denounced, vers. 13. against them that continued not •n all things written in the law, to signifie that those that sought salvation in the law must needs be left under the curse; and secondly, together with this monument there was an altar built, and set up, vers. 5. whereon they offered sacrifices, vers. 6, 7. to teach them, that the righteousnesse and salvation which could not be attained by the works of the law was to be sought in Christ, of whom this altar was a type, and who is indeed the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth, Rom. 10. 4.

See the note upon Exod. 24. 4.

See the notes on Exod. 20. 24, 25.

To wit, be∣cause they had at this time in a solemn manner renewed their covenant with God.

Mo∣ses here enjoyns the people that when they had set up the monument of stones on mount Ebal, whereon the law was written, and the •ltar, mentioned vers. 5. and had offered sacrifices thereon as God had commanded them, they should then af∣terwards in a solemn manner give their consent to the blessings and curses that should be pronounced by the priests upon those that should keep, and upon those that should break Gods laws; and the manner enjoyned for the doing hereof was this: Six of the tribes were to stand upon mount Gerizzim, to wit, Simeon and Levi, and Judah and Issachar, and Joseph and Benjamin (where by the tribe of Jo∣seph is meant the two distinct tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the sonnes of Jo∣seph, who are here joyned together as one, because Levi is here reckoned as one of the twelve) and these were all the posteritie of Leah and Rachel; and then the six other tribes were to •tand upon mount Ebal, to wit, Gad and Asher, Dan and Naphtali, who were the sonnes of the handmaids, and with them the Tribes of Reuben, who for his sinne lost his birthright, and Zebulun the youngest of Leahs sonnes: and so the tribes being thus divided, the priests came with the ark, Josh. 8. 32. into the little valley that was betwixt these two mountains, and there first they pronounced the blessings (happely turning their faces towards mount G•rizzim) and then all the tribes that stood on mount Gerizzim answered Amen, and then turning again to mount Ebal they pronounced the twelve curses, that are after∣wards set down in the latter end of this chapter, and then all the tribes that stood on mount Ebal answered Amen. Indeed in Josh. 8. 33. it is not said that the tribes stood upon mount Gerizzim and upon mount Ebal, but that they stood half of them over against mount Gerizzim, and half of them over a∣gainst mount Ebal: But hereby one and the same thing is meant, onely it is so expressed in Joshua, either to intimate that th• tribes stood the one com∣panie Page  532 right opposite against the other, or else rather because the people, at least their rulers and officers, stood on the first ascending of the hills, and so indeed ra∣ther over against them then upon them. Besides, though there is no mention made here of the priests pronouncing the blessings, but onely the curses, yet in Joshua 8. 33. it is expressely said that Joshua read (that is, the priests by Joshuas appoint∣ment) the blessings and the curses: and therefore doubtlesse the blessings were read by the priests as well as the curses, onely Moses passeth over the blessings, either be∣cause they might be easily enough gathered from the contrary curses which are ex∣pressed, or else (as some conceive) by this his silence in not mentioning the bles∣sings, to lead his prudent reader to look for the blessings by another, which is Christ, Acts 3. 26. God having raised up his sonne Jesus, sent him to blesse you in turning every one of you away from his iniquities: for silence in the holy storie of∣ten implieth great mysteries, as the Apostle sheweth from Moses silence concerning Melchisedecs parents, Heb. 7. 3, &c. As for the reasons why the Lord would have the people in such a solemn manner to give assent to these blessings and curses thus pronounced in their hearing, we may probably conceive it was, first, to teach them hereby that the law of God was just, the sinner himself being judge, and that he who breaks them must needs be self-condemned even by the light of a naturall con∣science; and secondly, the better to restrain them from breaking these laws, where there was no danger of being punished by the Magistrate, by putting them in mind that these sinnes would however expose them to Gods curse. And indeed the rather may we think that this God intended in this solemn service, because most of the sinnes here particularly accursed are secret sinnes, as secret idolatrie, vers. 15. the secret removing of the land-mark, vers. 17. incest, and bestialitie, and such other sinnes as men are usuall to conceal. Some adde besides, that mount Gerizzim being on the right hand of the priests, and mount Ebal on the left, hereby that day was shadowed forth, when a blessing shall be pronounced on them at the right hand, and a curse upon them at the left. But whether there was any ground for this mysterie, I question much: What is fit to be further observed concerning this pas∣sage, we may see in the foregoing note upon chap. 11. 29.

That is, the priests, the Levites, for so it is expressed, Josh. 8. 33. and indeed the Levites in generall stood upon mount Gerizzim amongst their brethren of the other tribes, vers. 12.

Un∣der this all sinnes against the first table are likewise accursed, and so under the following particulars all sinnes against the second table.

So subscribing to the justice of Gods law, and as it were wishing that the curse might befall them, if they should in any of these things transgresse Gods commandments.

And so also much more they that mislead simple men and women into any dangerous and damnable errour, pernicious to their souls.